Award season is in full swing in Hollywood, but the nominations for the biggest awards, the 87th Academy Awards, are still awaited.
The nominees for Oscars will be announced this evening.
Trade analysts, punters and experts are already betting on who they think would sweep the nominations tally and the unanimous vote goes to Birdman, who they feel, is likely to belt nine nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Michael Keaton, who has already mounted the Golden Globe for Best Actor - Comedy/Musical on his shelf.
The other two films likely to dominate the nominations are Boyhood, which win the Golden Globe for Best Picture - Drama, and The Imitation Game, categories including the Best Picture and Best Director.
Many hopes are pinned on actor Benedict Cumberbatch to bag a nomination in the Best Actor category for The Imitation Game, as is Eddie Redmayne who won the Globe for Best Actor - Drama for playing Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. David Oyelowo is also considered a sure shot for his turn as Martin Luther King, Jr in Selma.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was named Best Picture - Comedy/Musical at the Globes, and Whiplash are likely to be up for six awards, while The Theory of Everything and Selma will contend five times each.
The likely nominees for the Best Actress category include Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl, Julianne Moore for Still Alice, Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything, Jennifer Aniston for Cake, Reese Witherspoon for Wild and Amy Adams who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress - Comedy/Musical for Big Eyes. Spoiler alert - don't be surprised if Julianne Moore takes home the golden man. She did, after all, win the Globe for Best Actress - Drama.
The Oscar ceremony will be held on February 22 - that's early morning the next day for India.
